Strike plate of a golf club head

ABSTRACT

A strike plate of a golf club head has a striking zone and an elastic annular part defined around the striking zone and adjacent to the edge of the strike plate. Multiple annular grooves are formed in the elastic annular part on the rear face of the strike plate and are arranged at intervals. Multiple annular flanges are formed on the rear face. Each annular flange is formed between two adjacent annular grooves. The elastic annular part with multiple thicker and thinner parts alternately arranged provides elasticity as a spring. Therefore, when any part of the striking zone of the strike plate is stricken on the golf ball, the elastic annular part generates a sufficient elastic effect to effectively enlarge the sweet spot on the strike plate.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a golf club head, especially to a strike plate of the golf club head.

2. Description of the Prior Arts

A conventional golf club head comprises a head body and a strike plate attached securely to a front face of the head body. The head body has a hosel formed on an end thereof and opposite to the strike plate for receiving a shaft to form a golf club.

When the user hits the golf ball with the conventional golf club, the strike plate on the front face of the head body strikes the golf ball. Thus, the strike plate plays important roles in the striking performance of the golf club.

The strike plate of the conventional golf club heads is mostly made of a plate of uniform thickness. Only by using metal material with high strength and high elasticity without modifying the structures, the reacting elastic force resulted from striking the golf ball by the strike plates is limited. Moreover, the edge of the strike plate is attached securely to the head body. As the head body holds the edge of the strike plate, only the central part of the strike plate provides elastic effect. Then the striking sweet spot of the conventional strike plate only occupies a small area of the conventional strike plate. Therefore, the user cannot easily strike the golf ball on the sweet spot of the conventional strike plate.

Additionally, a conventional strike plate is developed with a protrusion formed on a center of a rear face thereof to form a structure having a thicker center and a thinner edge. The thinner area enhances the elasticity of the edge of the conventional strike plate so that the conventional strike plate provides elastic effect while striking.

However, the edge of the aforementioned conventional strike plate with the central protrusion on the rear face still has a certain thickness such that the enhanced elastic effect is still insufficient.

To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention provides a strike plate of a golf club head to mitigate or obviate the aforementioned problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The main objective of the present invention is to provide a strike plate of a golf club head. The strike plate of a golf club head has a striking zone and an elastic annular part defined around the striking zone and adjacent to the edge of the strike plate. Multiple annular grooves are formed in the elastic annular part on the rear face of the strike plate and are arranged at intervals. Multiple annular flanges are formed on the rear face. Each annular flange is formed between two adjacent annular grooves. The elastic annular part with multiple thicker and thinner parts alternately arranged provides elasticity as a spring. Therefore, when any part of the striking zone of the strike plate is stricken on the golf ball, the elastic annular part generates a sufficient elastic effect to effectively enlarge the sweet spot on the strike plate.

Other objectives, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a rear perspective view of a strike plate of a golf club head in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a rear view of the strike plate in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side view in partial section of the strike plate in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an operational side view in partial section of the strike plate in FIG. 1 applied on a wood golf club head when striking a golf ball;

FIG. 5 is an operational rear view of another embodiment of a strike plate of a golf club head in accordance with the present invention applied on a iron golf club head; and

FIG. 6 is an operational side view in partial section of the strike plate in FIG. 5 applied on the iron golf club head.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A preferred embodiment of a strike plate 1A of a golf club head in accordance with the present invention is shown in FIGS. 1 to 3. The strike plate 1A shown in FIG. 1 is applied to, but is not limited to, a wood golf club head. Another preferred embodiment of a strike plate 1B of a golf club head in accordance with the present invention is shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. The strike plate 1B is also applied to other types of golf club heads besides the iron golf club head.

With reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, 5 and 5, the strike plate 1A, 1B has a striking face 12 and a rear face 13. The striking face 12 and the rear face 13 are formed on opposite sides of the strike plate 1A, 1B. A striking zone 10 is defined on the strike plate 1A, 1B. An elastic annular part 11 is defined around the striking zone 10 and is adjacent to the edge of the strike plate 1A, 1B. The shape of the elastic annular part 11 substantially corresponds to the shape of the strike plate 1A, 1B. The elastic annular part 11 is located on an inner side when the strike plate 1A, 1B is attached to the head body 2A, 2B. Multiple annular grooves 111 are formed in the elastic annular part 11 on the rear face 13 of the strike plate 1A, 1B and are arranged at intervals. Multiple annular flanges 112 are formed on the rear face 13. Each annular flange 112 is formed between two adjacent annular grooves 111. The striking zone 10 of the strike plate 1A, 1B has uniform thickness and is substantially flat. Alternatively, the rear face 13 of the strike plate 1A, 1B may have a protrusion. With the annular grooves 111 and the annular flanges 112 in the elastic annular part 11 on the rear face 13, the elastic annular part 11 of the strike plate 1A, 1B has thicker parts and thinner parts alternately arranged from inside to outside.

In a preferred embodiment, the strike plate 1A, 1B has two to six annular grooves 111 formed on the elastic annular part 11. The width of the elastic annular part on the radial direction is preferably 3 mm to 15 mm.

With reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, 5 and 6, the elastic annular part 11 of the strike plate 1A, 1B has a first thickness t1 and a second thickness t2. The first thickness t1 is defined between the innermost part of the annular grooves 111 and the striking face 12 and is preferably 1 mm to 2.8 mm. The second thickness t2 is defined between the outermost part of the annular flanges 112 and is preferably 1.7 mm to 3.5 mm The thickness is adjusted according to the material, the full thickness, and the type of the golf club head. The width and the depth of the annular grooves 11 are determined on the premise that the necessary strength of the strike plate 1A, 1B is not affected. In a preferred embodiment, the strike plate 1A, 1B is made of metal and an inner edge of each annular groove 111 preferably forms an arc.

With reference to FIGS. 4 and 6, when the strike plate 1A, 1B as described is applied to a golf club head, the strike plate 1A, 1B is attached securely to a front side of the head body 2A, 2B. The head body 2A, 2B has a hosel formed on an end thereof and opposite to the strike plate for receiving a shaft to form a golf club. The wood golf club head is shown in FIG. 4 for an example. When the user strikes the golf ball with the golf club, the strike plate 1A strikes the golf ball 3. With the annular grooves 111 in the elastic annular part 11 of the strike plate 1A, the elastic annular part 11 of the strike plate 1A has elasticity. Moreover, the elastic annular part 11 with multiple thicker and thinner parts alternately arranged provides elasticity as a spring. Therefore, when any part of the striking zone 10 of the strike plate 1A is stricken on the golf ball 3, the elastic annular part 11 generates a sufficient elastic effect to effectively enlarge the sweet spot on the strike plate 1A.

Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and features of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only. Changes may be made in the details, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A strike plate of a golf club head comprising: a strike face and a rear face formed on opposite sides of the strike plate; a striking zone defined on the strike plate; an elastic annular part defined around the striking zone, adjacent to an edge of the strike plate and having multiple annular grooves formed in the elastic annular part on the rear face of the strike plate and arranged at intervals; and multiple annular flanges formed on the rear face, and each annular flange formed between two adjacent annular grooves.
 2. The strike plate as claimed in claim 1, wherein the elastic annular part has two to six annular grooves.
 3. The strike plate as claimed in claim 1, wherein a width of the elastic annular part is 3 mm to 15 mm.
 4. The strike plate as claimed in claim 2, wherein a width of the elastic annular part is 3 mm to 15 mm.
 5. The strike plate as claimed in claim 1, wherein a thickness defined between an innermost part of the annular grooves and the striking face is 1 mm to 2.8 mm; and a thickness defined between an outermost part of the annular flanges and the striking face is 1.7 mm to 3.5 mm.
 6. The strike plate as claimed in claim 2, wherein a thickness defined between an innermost part of the annular grooves and the striking face is 1 mm to 2.8 mm; and a thickness defined between an outermost part of the annular flanges and the striking face is 1.7 mm to 3.5 mm.
 7. The strike plate as claimed in claim 3, wherein a thickness defined between an innermost part of the annular grooves and the striking face is 1 mm to 2.8 mm; and a thickness defined between an outermost part of the annular flanges and the striking face is 1.7 mm to 3.5 mm.
 8. The strike plate as claimed in claim 4, wherein a thickness defined between an innermost part of the annular grooves and the striking face is 1 mm to 2.8 mm; and a thickness defined between an outermost part of the annular flanges and the striking face is 1.7 mm to 3.5 mm. 